Improvement in propelling and steering canal-boats



P. ROBERTS. y Improvement in Propelling and Steering Canal-Boats.. No.128,069. Patentedwnemnlz.

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UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

PETER ROBERTS, 0F NEVVYORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WIL- yLIAM A.REES, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROPELLINGAND STEERING CANALBCATSl vSpecification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 128,069, dated J une 18, 1872.

Specification describing a new and useful Improvement in Propellin g andSteering Mechanism for Canal-Boats, invented by PETER oBERTS, ofthecity, county, and State of New Figure 1 represents a verticallongitudinal section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.Fig. 3 is a detail side view of they propeller-frame, and Fig. 4 adetail top view of part of the same. Figs. 5 and 6 are verticaltransverse sections through the double paddle-wheels, showing them inreversed relation to each other.

Similar'letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new paddlewheel mechanism to be applied tocanal-boats and other vessels for the purpose of propelling and steeringthe same. The invention consists, first, in a peculiar construction ofpaddle-wheel; and, secondly, in a spring-frame, lwhich takes the shockof obstructionsf'and protects the frame in which the wheel is journaled.

A in the drawing represents part of acanalboat,'being either the bow orstern part of the same. Directly at the end is pivoted to the boat, byastrong vertical'bo1t,a,a frame, B, in the sides of which thepaddle-wheel D D are two parts of a double paddle-wheel mounted upon theshaft C. They receive rotary motion by a chain, b, or other connectionfrom the drivingshaft E of a suitable engine fitted within or upon theboat. The sides of the frame B are, by ropes or chains d d, furtherconnected with a steering-drum, Gr, by the turning of which, one rope dbeing wound up or shortened and the other unwound or lengthened, theframe B is swung to one side or the other to steer the vessel by meansof its paddle-wheels. The sides e e of the frame B are directly or bymeans of intermediate links f f jointed to the cross-piece g of saidframe, which is directly connected to the boat. These joints enable theframe B, together with the paddlewheel, to be swung up or down, and tobe, if desired, entirely carried out of the water. To enable suchadjustment a rope or chain, h, extends from the outer end of the frame Bto a drum, z', on the driving-shaft E, or to any other part of theoperating engine, said drum being thrown in gear, when required, to windup the rope h by means of an adjustable clutch, j. F is a frame pivoted,at l, to the boat, and extending outward from it so as to embrace theframe B. It is, at thel outer end, connected with said frame B, as at min the drawing, and is jointed in line with the joints in the sides ofB, so that it will swing up, together with B, whenever the paddle-wheelis lifted out of the water. Springs n bear against the pivotedcross-piece o of the frame F to right it whenever the paddle-wheel isdirectly in line with the axis of the boat, though they allow the frameF to swing sidewise when the paddle-wheel is moved for steering. Theobject of this frame F is to protect frame B and relieve it from anyshocks or injury by contact with obstructions or other things. Each partof paddle-wheel consists of a series of oblique buckets or paddles, p p,set between rims r 1', that project from a hub, s. The inner edges ofthe paddles p, though in contact with the larger part of the hub, arenot so at and toward the smaller end of the same, leaving openings forthe convenient escape of the water. The rims r' 1' are also perforatedfor the escape of the water.

By means of the conical hub the discharge of water from the paddle-wheelis directed almost entirely to one side--that on which the hub issmallest.

The two parts of wheel on the same shaft may be placed with the smallends of the hub together, as in Fig. 5, in which case the water will bedischarged in the middle; or they may, as in Fig. 6, be placed withtheir large ends together to discharge at the sides. The form shown inFig. 5 appears more advantageous for canal-boats, as it prevents sideswell. It mayin many cases be desirable to reverse the position of thepaddle-wheel on the same shaft to reverse the motion and to transplacethe whole apparatus from the stern of the boat to the bow, or viceversa.

Having thus desc'ribed my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent= 1. A paddle=wheel, D D, consisting of a dou ble-conehub, S S, and two sets of paddles, p p, protect frainc B and receive,with a yielding arranged at an angle to one another, and withresistance, the impact of any obstruction or a space between saidpaddles and hub, as and shock.

for the purpose described. PETER ROBERTS.

2. A frame, B, which holds the paddle-Wheel journaled therein, combinedwith the surround- Witnesses ing frame F, provided with a spring, n,resting T. B. MOSHER,

against its cross-piece o, as described, so as to GEO. W. MABEE.

